Fats

_Article written by Lauren Lander for Better World Cuisine, inspired by Dr. Tel-Oren

Due to its association with obesity and heart disease, dietary fat gained a bad reputation that persists until this day. U.S. health organizations and many nutritionists deemed fat to be a serious threat to our nation’s health, failing to distinguish between the different types and qualities of fats and neglecting to educate people about the crucial functions of fats within the body.

The term lipid covers all of the water-insoluble organic substances. Fats are simply a class of lipids called triglycerides. We naturally gravitate toward eating fats because they are tasty and they carry the flavor of foods. Incorporated into every cell membrane in the body, fats are also crucial for our health, especially if we live in polluted urban environments and lead high-stress lives. In order to help us cope with the increased toxicity and greater immune challenges of urban life, a continuous supply of fats is necessary for our vesicles, the tiny organs within our cells, to carry out their roles in detoxification, elimination of cellular debris, and self-destruction of cancer cells. Also, with more exposure to different types of stress, we require more stress hormones, which are composed of fats.

Fats have a myriad of physiological functions. The entire regulation of the body in terms of heat, temperature, inflammation, and blood platelet adhesion relies on substances derived from different fats and lipids. We also need fats to transport lipoproteins like cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is not only a necessary component of cell membranes; it helps to synthesize different types of vitamins, steroid hormones, and bile. Additionally, fats are needed for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin E and vitamin A, which protect the integrity of the fats within our body. The sex hormones are also composed of fats.

Since cellular membrane health is necessary for the health of the entire cell and for proper intercellular communication, and because fatty acids are present in every cell membrane in the body, it is easy to understand why the quality of the fats we eat is important. In other words, we want to avoid unstable, or rancid fats. Light, heat, and oxygen cause fats to go rancid. Rancid fats rancidify the fats in our own bodies, destroying our cell membranes, depleting our stores of antioxidants, damaging our nuclear membranes and DNA, and increasing the risk of various cancers. Rancid fats also have a thyrotoxic effect since they inhibit the proteolytic enzymes responsible for proper thyroid function, leading to hypothyroidism and hormonal dysfunction. Free radical damage, another result of rancid fat intake, is associated with every disease known to humankind. Free radicals damage the skin and subcutaneous fat, accelerating the aging process.

To avoid rancid fats, we first need to identify which types of fats are more molecularly stable and less prone to rancidity. The more double bonds a fat has, the less stable that fat will be. Having only one double bond, monounsaturated fats are more stable than polyunsaturated fats, which have two or more double bonds. Because they have no double bonds, saturated fats are the most stable type of fat. Saturated fat isn’t inherently bad, as we’ve been led to believe; we just want to avoid saturated animal fat, which contains fat-soluble toxins, stress hormones, and inflammation-producing arachidonic acid. Our arachidonic acid potential and thus our potential for inflammation are determined not only by the amount of animal foods we eat, but also by our intake of omega-6 fatty acids, which are precursors to arachidonic acid. Because omega-3 inhibits the production of arachidonic acid, we supplement with it to counterbalance the inflammation resulting from both of these sources. Like omega-6, however, omega-3 oil is polyunsaturated and usually unstable. Only one source of stable omega-3 is presently known today: Clary sage seed oil. So, the best possible approach in combating inflammation is to limit animal foods and omega-6 fatty acids, while supplementing with Clary sage seed oil in controlled doses.

Now that we know to generally avoid polyunsaturated vegetable and seed oils, what types of oils should we be eating for health on a regular basis? We should be eating monounsaturated and saturated oils derived from fruits, namely olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and palm oil. Of all the oils, coconut oil is the very best in its composition of fatty acids. The body metabolizes its short-chain and medium-chain triglycerides more directly and readily than other triglycerides. Even people who have trouble digesting other fats due to nutritional deficiencies or absorption issues can easily metabolize coconut oil. In addition to having antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, coconut oil undoes the damage of rancid fat consumption by improving the immune system, reducing free radical damage and tissue rancidity, and promoting healthy thyroid function and hormonal balance.

In addition to eating only fruit oils, limit your exposure to rancid fats by purchasing nuts and seeds fresh from a farmer or from places that keep them refrigerated, and then immediately refrigerating or freezing them at home. Ideally, you should make your own nut milks using raw, organic, refrigerated nuts and adding some coconut oil or olive oil to stabilize the mixture. Store nut milks in the refrigerator for up to three days before eating. Never eat roasted nuts and seeds.

Generally, fats should not exceed 40 percent of our daily caloric intake, but because not everyone’s fatty acid needs are the same, no set percentage of fat is appropriate for everyone. Our fatty acid requirements depend on our individual health statuses and metabolic needs, based on varying factors like environmental toxicity, stress, and genetics. As a general rule, however, for those of us living in urban environments, between two and four heaping tablespoons of nuts and seeds per day should be sufficient, depending on body size.

Since nuts and seeds are difficult to digest, we should refrain from eating them alone and instead dilute them in a smoothie, vegetable salad, or fruit salad, spreading our portions out throughout the day to further lessen the digestive burden. Eating the same proteinaceous foods every day can result in allergies and sensitivities, so it is important to rotate the types of nuts and seeds we eat on a four-day basis. It is also important to slowly and thoroughly chew nuts and seeds, as we would do in nature, where we would be forced to crack them open one by one with our teeth.

In summary: Because fats are so crucial for physiological function, it is not beneficial to simply eliminate them or reduce them to the point where we become deficient, especially if we have increased nutritional demands due to stress or toxic living environments. Yet, not all fats are created equal. We want to avoid unstable polyunsaturated fats, consuming more of the monounsaturated and saturated varieties derived from fruits, especially coconut oil, which is superior to all other fats in its stability and ease of absorption. We also want to store, prepare, and consume nuts and seeds in a manner that reduces our exposure to rancidity and promotes good digestion. With this practical and intelligent approach, we will be able to avoid the pitfalls many people run into when consuming fats, and instead use fats to enhance our health and vitality.